Maternal figures and the right to choose

representations of distancing in contemporary literature from a feminist perspective

Abstract

Based on intersectional and decolonial feminist studies, this article analyzes the representations of the maternal figure as a moral and social agent in The lost daughter, by Elena Ferrante, and Please look after mom, by Shin Kyung-Sook. Drawing from distinct cultural contexts – Italy and South Korea –, it examines the ambivalences of motherhood and the distance between mothers and children as experiences shaped by class, gender, culture, and power. Using literature as a critical and symbolic instrument, the discussion approaches motherhood as a social and political practice involving tension, resistance, and choice. The analyses reveal how these narratives deconstruct idealized models and give visibility to peripheral maternal voices, contributing to the feminist debate on autonomy, care, and identity.